Thousands of Beef Checkoff-Generated Messages Reach Publications

A total of 6,533 newspapers and magazines published beef-related information last year as a result of checkoff-funded efforts, a recent analysis has shown.  The 6,533 placements through the checkoff from Oct. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2002 were in publications with a combined circulation of 1.27 billion.

The efforts to place the information were conducted for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Food Communications program.  The numbers from the report don’t include publicity reaching broadcast media.

Information and recipes on value-added beef products, as well as chuck and round cuts, represented most of the placements, appearing in publications with combined circulation of 705.4 million.  The rest of the meat case accounted for 496.6 million in circulation.  Major magazines alone featured value-added beef products in 39 articles last year, reaching a combined circulation of 86 million.

Among the strategies for reaching food media professionals included news releases, pre-prepared color editorial pages, recipe packets, customized/individualized assistance and special culinary events. 

“The results for this checkoff program strongly supported our convenience marketing plan,” said Arnold Wienk, a South Dakota beef producer and chairman of the Joint Industry Public Relations Subcommittee.  “Our goal was to keep beef top-of-mind and create excitement with consumers through food media professionals, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”  Wienk noted that other public relations efforts to these and other audiences also addressed the nutrition issue.